Dogs are family, and what are the holidays if not full of family traditions? And since our dogs are family, they’re obviously part of the tradition. Here are some of our favorite ways to spend the holidays with dogs!
Walking in a winter wonderland
Maybe it’s not exactly a winter wonderland where you live—or maybe it is, and you’re buried under that fluffy white stuff right now. Still, whether you’re in the middle of a picturesque snow village or you’re making sand-men for the holidays, one thing is usually pretty consistent at this time of year: the light shows are EPIC. Especially considering the 2020 Holiday season had many strictly socially distancing and not really gathering much in one another’s homes. But most of us took the opportunity to dress the house up in ALL the lights for all to see. So a great thing to do is simply take your best buddy and family on a walk through the neighborhood to check out all the holiday decorations. It’s great exercise, time together and a good way to bond with your dog as you create and engage in traditions the whole family looks forward to.
If you live somewhere where driving is more the way to go to see lights, there’s no reason you can’t bring Fido with you! Just make sure you’ve got him nice and secure (roaming in the vehicle isn’t safe) and don’t forget to play all the holiday music for the right car ride vibe!
Pup pictures with Santa
Is there anything better than having your picture taken with Santa? We don’t think so either, and think doggo pics with Santa are just the best thing ever to pull out year after year! At this time of year, many local charities are hosting Santa pics where the proceeds benefit animal rescue and animal welfare organizations. Go one step further and make ornaments of the pictures that you’ll be able to keep through the years.
Make charity tradition
Speaking of charitable organizations, consider making donations with your dog. Whether you and he take gift baskets to nursing homes or you volunteer to take meals to those in need or you just raise funds/collect items to give to charitable groups, you’ll not go wrong. It’s a great way for you and your pup help others, and let’s be real–who’s not a sucker for a charitable dog? You can even contact local rescues to see if there’s something you and your dog can help with together–say like an adoption event or something of the like.
The uglier, the better
Who says Ugly Sweaters have to be for dogs only? Not us! There are tons of fun sweaters you and your dog can wear to make the days festive and bright! Consider this one, or this one, or this one, or any other sweater that brings a smile to your face and a wag to his tail. Don’t forget to take a picture!
Host a doggy treat exchange
Cookie exchanges are always a popular event this time of year, and there’s no reason our doggos can’t have some exchange fun too!
Consider asking a few of your dog-loving pals to participate. Then, you and your friends pick a few of your favorite treats/cookie recipes for your dogs and everyone bakes a batch of couple dozen each. (If you want, you can make it delicious for humans too and have a batch made for dogs and a batch of cookies for humans to share.)
If you’re gathering this year, you can have everyone bring their pals and their treats and have a dog party. You could also do this via zoom to ‘gather’ and just drop the batch of goodies off on each door. Whether gathering in person or dropping off, each participant gets a few of each different recipe so at the end of exchanging, there are lots of yummy treats to go around.
Here are some of our favorite recipes for dog holiday exchanges:
Dog Pawrent Pro-Tip: Add Bernie’s Perfect Poop in these recipes to help make them not just delicious but great for them too. It’ll be like a gift they get with every bite they take!
Include Bernie’s Perfect Poop every day
While these are all fun traditions to have with your dog for the holidays, one thing you’ll want to do year-round is make sure you give your dog Bernie’s Perfect Poop. It’s the perfect blend of dietary fibers like Miscanthus grass, pumpkin, and flax-seed with pre- and probiotics and digestive enzymes. This combination keeps your dog’s gut in the greatest shape it can be, and great gut health is where your dog’s overall health begins.
The holidays are all about giving, and giving your dog good gut health can be as easy as adding Perfect Poop with every meal. Perfect poop is a sign of good gut health, and that means protection from gastrointestinal issues like constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, upset tummy and more—all often pretty common for dogs during the holiday season because of all the extra little goodies that have a tendency to be roaming around.
These are special days, but they’re also days that we can build not just great traditions, but healthy habits that will serve our dogs well for their whole lives! And isn’t that the best gift of all?
